belt buckle



Oct. 8. 1940. H. J. Bucl-ISBAUM BELT BUCKLE Fild May 31, 1959 Patented Oct. 8, 1940 BELT BUCKLE Herbert -J. Buchsbaum, Chicago, Ill., assignor to A. `Stein & Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporationof Illinois Application May 31, 1939,9Se1ial N0. 276,502?.`

, y ,Claims. Thisv` invention relates to improvements in belt buckles and more specifically to improvements in` belt buckles such as used on'waist belts of leather .or other materials, andof the typewhich are 5 adapted to grip the belt at `any selectedlocation without penetrating the same. a e

The main objects of the invention are to provide a buckle of the type indicated which will grip belts effectively notwithstanding considerable variation in the thickness of the belts so that a single buckle construction may be used for belts of a wide range yof thicknesses; to provide a buckle structure of the character indicated which, although unusually effective, is nevertheless of simple construction and easy and inexpensive to make so as to be commercially prac'- ticable; to provide a buckle of the character indcated which will be durable and easy to operate VReferring now to" the drawing, the improved buckle comprisesf a sheet metal outer buckle member 5 stamped ,or otherwise formed toprovide a front plate'part 6, top and bottom flanges I and 8, respectively,` i and `inwardly extending .rearflanges 9 andIIl. The rear flanges 9 and I0, respectively, are further provided withjend portions folded or rolled to provide bearings II and I2 for receiving trunnions I3 and I4, `respectively, of a gripper member I5.

The gripper member I5 is made in one piece of suitable sheet metal and it is stamped or otherwise fabricated to provide the illustrated frame-a like structure comprising a belt-attaching cross-v barIB, side arms I'l` and I8 `extending edgewise from said cross-banbelt gripper bars I9 and 20 connected at their endsto the inner edges of said side arms, and `said trunnionsI I3 `and I4.

The gripper bars are laterally offset `from the `normal plane of the cross-bar I6 and arms I1 and IB. The saidbars I9 and20 are laterally offset towardthe buckle face A5 and they are 55L preferably, but not necessarily, pressed toI the longitudinally arched formation shown.

The said gripperbars I9`and 2li-are spaced apart `a distance `approximately equalling the thickness of the metal from which the member Gil` is formedand the bar 20 is offset from the plane and` which will not injure the belt; and in genofthe arms I'I and I8 to a slightly greater eX- tent `than the bar I9. The said gripper bars `are also bent `forwardly to an inclined position relativeto the normal plane of the gripper (the plane of the cross-bar I5 and arms `I'I and I8) which causes outer corners 22Iand 2l ofthe bars I9 and 2U, respectively, to bite into the belt fabric whether of leather or other material, thereby to effectively grip4 the buckle in cooperation with the buckle member 5.

`The bar 2I1is further so arranged that its highest edge 2| is located only slightly forwardly a of the axis of the trunnions I3 and I4.` The bar I9 is so located that its highest point 22 is located considerably rearwardly of the axis of said trunnions. l

The buckle is attached to one end of a belt by having suchend .of the belt passed around the transverse bar I6 of the gripper I5, bent back and permanently or detachably secured to the belt, or it may be secured in any othersuitable orconventional way. In Figures 1 and 2, a belt 23 is shown as havinglan end portion 2e thereof folded around the bar I6 and detachably secured to the belt by means of a snap fastener 25. r"The other end portion 26 yof the belt is in-` serted between the inside face of the buckle part 5 and the adjacent outer faces of the gripper bars I9 and 20, such insertion being freely permitted by rocking the gripper member I5 outwardlybn its trunnionsI I3 and I4 so as to rock the bars IS and `rearwardly from the buckle part 5.

When the belt strap 26 has been passed through` n the buckle to the desired extent, the gripper i5 is restored to normal 4gripping position as shown in Figure 2, whereupon the bars I9 and 20 engage the belt strap `so as to pinch it against the inside of the buckle part 5. The bar I9 has the effect of causing the belt strap to swell or bulge between the bars whereby the gripping effect of the bar 2u is increased. Because of the offset relationship of the front bar I9 to the pivotal axis of the gripper member I5, the said bar I9 will prevent the gripper `member from rocking on its pivot (when the belt is under strain) to such an extent that the other bar 20 'will begin to release the strap.

The front gripping bar 20 will normally be embedded in the belt strap to a less extent than the rear gripping bar I9, especially in connection with a relatively thick belt strap. Because of the angulardisposition of the bars I9 and 2D, each of them will be caused toso enter and engagethe belt that the belt is held by the relatively abrupt edge faces 21 and 28 of the respective bars I9 and 20. lThe angular position of the outer face 29 o f the` bar I9 is such that it tends to'swage the material of the belt into a swell adjacent the abrupt face 2B of the bar 20 with consequent increase in the holding effect of the latter.

The gripper member l5 is preferably for-ined of sheet metal having a substantial degree of resiliency but which is nevertheless strong enough to withstand the stresses imposed on the gripper member incident to its employment as above explained. One suitable metal for this purpose is half-hard brass about one-sixteenth of an inch in thickness; the employment of a resilient metal such as referred to is desirable, although not essential, in that it provides a certain amount of give in the gripper structure in its entirety, and especially in the gripping bars E9 and 20. Such resiliency may permit the bar 28 to be sprung to a position of increased or decreased angularity and to a less arched position when extremely thick belts are encountered. Furthermore, the absence of any rigid connection between the arms il and I8 of the gripper member, at the ends thereof remot-e from the belt-attaching'bar i6, permits the said'arrns to spread so as to accommodate the expansive pressure ofthe pinch bars IS and when under belt-gripping pressure. Such give in the gripper element enables the buckle tobe used, without special adjustment, interchangeably on belts of different thicknesses and it also permits the gripping bars to follow the pull of the belt when under strain so as to increase the gripping power as the strain is increased. The buckle member 5, being of sheet metal construction, is also capable of yielding slightly when the grippers i9 and 2G apply suiiicient force against the buckle through the gripped portion of a belt strap.

The gripper member as described is highly effective for its purpose but it may be modified to have three or more bars instead of two as shown, and other changes in the described construction `may be made Without departing from the principles of the invention, the scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possible, consistent with the state of the art.

I claim: A

l. A belt buckle of the class described comprising a front member and a gripper member pivotally connected to said front member, said gripper member having a belt-attaching bar, side arms extending laterally from the ends of said attaching bar, and a pinch bar spaced from said attaching `bar and extending between and connected at its ends to said side arms, said pinch bar being arched toward said front member from the plane of the portions of the side arms to which the pinch bar is connected, said arched pinch bar being adapted tobe flexed toward said plane when under belt-gripping pressure and said side arms being adapted to be spread laterally as an incident to such iiexing of the pinch bar.

2. A belt buckle of the class `described comprising a front member and a gripper member pivotally connected to said front member, said gripper member having a belt-attaching bar, side arms extending laterally from the ends of said attaching bar, and a pinch bar of generally rectangular cross-section; spaced from said. attaching bar and extending between and connected at its ends to said side arms, -said pinch bar being arched toward said front member from the plane of the portions of the side arms to which the pinch bar is connected and having itsv face vand the edge thereof adjacent said attaching bar disposed at an acute angle relative to the normal plane of said front mem-ber when the gripper is in gripping relation to the front member, whereby the longitudinally extending corner formed by said face and edge of the pinch bar is adapted to bite into a strap interposed between said iront member and gripper.

3. A belt buckle of the class described comprising a front member and a gripper member pivotally connected to said iront member, said v,gripper member -having a belt-attaching bar,

side arms extending laterally from the ends of said attaching bar, and a pair of pinch bars spaced from each other and from said attaching bar and extending between and connected at their ends to said side arms, said pinch bars being arched toward said front member from the plane of the portions of the side arms to which the pinch bars are connected, said arched pinch bars being' adapted to be flexed toward said plane when .under belt-,gripping pressure and said side arms being adapted Vto be'spread laterally as an incident to such flexing of the pinch bars.

4. A belt buckle of `the `class described comprising a front member and a gripper member ivotally connected yto said front member, said gripper member having a belt-attaching bar, side arms .extending laterally from the ends .of said attaching bar, and a pair of pinch bars of generally rectangular cross-section, spaced from each otherand fromsaid attaching bar and' extending `between ,and rconnected at their ends to said side arms, said pinch bars being arched toward said iront member from the plane of the portions of the side ,arms to which said pinch bars are connected and having their faces and the respective edges .thereof adjacent said attaching `bar disposed at an acute angle relative to the normal `plane of said front `member' when the gripper is .in .gripping position, whereby the corners formed by said faces and edges of the pinch bars are adapted to bit into a strap interposed between said front member and gripper, the pinch bar nearest said Ibelt-attaching bar having its face disposed ina plane which, if extended, Would underlie the plane of the face of the other pinch bar.

5. A belt buckle `,of the class described comprising a front member and agripper member pivotally connected tosaid front member, said gripper member having a .belt-attaching bar, side arms extending laterally vfrom the ends of said attaching bar, .and a pair of pinch bars of rgenerally rectangular cross-section, spaced from each other and from said attaching bar and extending between and connected at their ends to said side arms, said pinch bars being arched toward said rfront member from the plane of the portions of the side arms to 4which said pinch bars are connected and having ,their faces and the respective edges thereof ladjacent said attaching Vbar disposed at anacu-te angle relative to the normal plane oi said front member when the gripper is in gripping position, whereby the corners formed by saidfaces andedges of the pinch bars are adapted to bite into a strap ,interposed between said front member and gripper, the pinch bar nearest said beltattaching .bar having its face disposed in a plane which, if extended, would underlie Vthe plane of `the face of the other pinch bar, ,said nearest pinch bar havingritsbiting corner spaced laterally from the pivot axis ofthe gripper mem- .ber a greater distance than ythe biting corner of the other pinch Lbafr.

HERBERTJ. .BUCHSBAUM- 

